If you live anywhere near Centurion Drive or Main Road, you’ll probably already know exactly which fence this is about. For everyone else, here’s a quick catch-up on what’s been happening, because yes, it really has been going on for quite some time.
This all relates to 1 Centurion Drive, part of the Elgar Park development originally built in 2015.
When the house was first constructed, the approved plans showed a 1.8m high close-board fence to the rear of the property. In 2016, when the homeowner purchased the house, they asked for the fence to be moved so it followed the actual boundary line along the side of the plot. This was agreed by the developer and the fence was repositioned accordingly.
By November 2021, the fence was still in place and largely screened by mature planting. At that point, the junction of Centurion Drive and Main Road had not yet been constructed due to delays linked to neighbouring development works. There were no visibility issues and little visual impact.
Things changed in 2023 when highway works finally began to construct the bellmouth junction onto Main Road. To allow these works to take place, much of the existing planting and fencing at the front and side of No.1 Centurion Drive had to be removed. Due to the disruption caused, the developer agreed to install a new acoustic fence as a replacement.
However, the replacement fence was not installed in the correct position. Instead of being set back within the plot, it was erected directly against the back of the footway. This is the fence that is now highly visible on the corner and has prompted questions from residents, as it appears overly dominant and leaves no space for planting to soften its appearance.
The developer has since acknowledged that the fence was installed incorrectly. A new planning application has now been submitted to address this.
The proposal is to remove the section of fencing that currently sits against the pavement and rebuild it further back from the footway. The revised fence would be a 2m high close-board fence, positioned to allow space for new planting in front of it, helping to reduce its visual impact and bring the layout back in line with what was originally intended.
This isn’t just about one fence. It highlights how small errors during development and highway works can have a lasting impact if they aren’t corrected properly. It’s also a reminder that prominent corners and gateways into the village matter, and how they look affects everyone who uses them.
We’ll keep an eye on how this planning application progresses and whether this finally brings the long-running Centurion Drive fence saga to a sensible conclusion.